City of Fire and Ink

The World's Worst Group Project

"I have a plan."

"You fucking better have a plan."

"I have a plan. I promise."

"So what is this mighty plan of yours?" I got a fantastic view of Kayla's forehead as they fumbled with the hem of some feathery looking dress.

"I'm gonna sit them down and ask if they heard about the Lunar ball."

"Seojun, they know what it is."

"I'm just introeing the topic, chill out."

"Kk. Keep going."

"And then I'm going to tell them that I was there because I was invited to join the Lourdes."

"You skipped over the entire middle of the story!"

"Am I supposed to tell them about Carys?!?"

"No, soil and sky, don't bring that up. Just tell them that you successfully managed to avoid being captured and that because you were being unusually stubborn, they thought that they could use you as an asset."

"I don't like your plan any better."

"You don't have to like my plan. But if you don't want Omma to lose it, you need to sound like you know what you're doing. You can't be joining the Lourdes for a hobby."

"But I don't have a plan. I've never been a gangster before."

"Well figure something out fast, because if she thinks you're doing this on a whim, she is gonna be so unbelievably pissed."

"I'm not doing this on a whim. I'm doing this for Harabeoji, you ass. If I don't, then he will have died for nothing. I'm doing this so that I can safeguard the money on the inside. I'm doing this for you guys."

Silence from the other end of the screen. "Kayla? Is the connection being weird?" They were in the process of throwing multi colored filters over the dress. I started to talk again, but they held up a hand. I fell silent.

"Very nice speech. That's what I'm talking about. Yes, say exactly that. I'm impressed. But keep the hysteria down, at least for Omma. Appa will appreciate it though."

"Is there a reason you went silent as the grave over there?"

"You were lagging," They were lying.

"Kayla,"

"I was concentrating very hard on this hem- do you have any idea how difficult it is to hand sew euna silk without ruining it?"

"Good to know you're paying attention," My voice dripped with sarcasm.

"If you want to pay for ten bolts of euna silk in cash up front to Miro, go right ahead."

"I mean technically I could. I have five hundred million ángel just lying around." The absurdity of that statement still didn't fail to amaze me.

"Goddamn I hate that you can make that joke."

"Jealous are you?"

"So jealous."

"I mean, part of that money is for you,"

"How much again?"

"80 million and a bit extra."

"God, you sound like one of those executives on La Reforma who wears half a million ángel suits and drinks a cappuccino every day." Kayla snorted.

"That's weird, because I always figured that if someone was going to be the millionaire in this family after Harabeoji, it was gonna be you."

"That was the plan wasn't it? I would be the rich sibling in fashion and you would be changing the world, one step at a time. Never really pictured you for a gangster."